Town of Cochrane Strategic Plan – Final Report October 2014
10. Community Centre and Pool: The Tim Horton Events Centre is well-used by all segments
of the community. Its pool is excellent, and even families from Timmins and Kapuskasing
wil l drive to Cochrane to use the pool.
11. Fibre network being expanded: CTS is improving the telecommunications infrastructure in
the community by building out its fibre optic network.
12. Community is close to nature. Access to natural environments is strongly associated with
positive health outcomes and overall quality of life.147,148 Cochrane’s proximity to over 250
lakes and hundreds of thousands of hectares of boreal forest is a significant asset. When
promoting the town to visitors and newcomers, the municipality should highlight the
natural amenities of the community wherever possible.
Weaknesses
1. Board of Trade and business community perceived as ineffective: Community members in
nearly all consultations expressed significant concern about the business community and
the Board of Trade. There is a widespread perception that local businesses “have given
up,” and “they’re operating as if they’re still in the 70’s.”149 Participants provided examples
of deteriorating facilities, poor service, lack of technology adoption and significantly higher
prices among local firms. Efforts to create a Business Improvement Association a few years
ago failed due to lack of interest and outright resistance from area businesses. The Board of
Trade is widely seen as ineffective and disconnected from the needs of local businesses. In
addition, the two major economic development entities in Cochrane have experienced
significant discord in the last few years.
2. Long wait-times to see doctors: Residents perceive that they have longer-than-usual
waiting times to see family doctors. At this time, Ontario has not yet started tracking
waiting times for family doctors, so we are unable to comment on whether the perception
has a basis in fact. It is common, however, in small towns, to wait several weeks for a
doctor’s appointment, given the larger patient loads rural physicians tend to carry. 150
3. Little business competition: This is a common complaint in smaller communities, but
there is a perception that the municipality actively discourages business competition to
placate local business owners.
147
Korpela, K., Borodulin, K., Neuvonen, M., Paronen, O., & Tyrväinen, L. (2014). Analyzing the mediators between
nature-based outdoor recreation and emotional well-being. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 37, 1-7.
148
Ward Thompson, C. and Aspinall, P. A. (2011), Natural Environments and their Impact on Activity, Health, and
Quality of Life. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 3: 230–260.
149
Participant comments, Cochrane Community Strategic Plan Public Consultation, October 17,2013.
150
Tam, Pauline (2012) Ontario to track wait times for family doctor appointments, Ottawa Citizen, February 6, 2012
87